


hey diddle diddle

by Stillreadingfanfictbh



Series: Larry One Shots [5]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Journalist Louis, M/M, Short One Shot, Tattoo artist Harry, only fluff, thats basically it, um, yeah that’s it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:15:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25243021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stillreadingfanfictbh/pseuds/Stillreadingfanfictbh
Summary: louis goes to harry’s tattoo parlor for a tattoo.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Series: Larry One Shots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2162739
Comments: 1
Kudos: 48





	hey diddle diddle

**Author's Note:**

> i got this idea from a hey diddle diddle painting from my childhood hung in my room. i’ve always liked that nursery rhyme.

louis has a thing for tattoos. he got his first one when he was drunk, and his second one just a day after the first one because he had a buy one get one free deal. ever since then he's just been adding to the collection.

some tattoos have absolutely no meaning, he would just see them at the parlor and like how they looked or he would let some of his friends practice on him. others had deep meanings, like the tattoos meant for his family. 

the tattoo he's getting today has a meaning, though it's not necessarily a deep or important meaning. 

"so, why do you want this tattooed onto you?" harry, the tattoo artist, ask louis. he's cleaning up his area and prepping his supplies. 

louis has never been to this particular parlor, so he's never actually met this man before. his friend liam has, though, and he was actually the one who encouraged louis to go. it was half off friday the 13th, so louis called and made an appointment then emailed them a request of what he wanted. he got an email back from harry the same day, attached was an image drawn by harry of exactly what louis wanted. 

louis doesn't usually do request, but he's been thinking about this tattoo for quite a while. he thinks it would be a nice addition. 

"it was the nursery rhyme me mom sang as a kid," louis explains, "always brings me back to simpler times, i guess."

harry grins, he begins outlining the tattoo into louis as he sings, "hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon, the little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon."

"i guess you know it, then. 'm glad you didn't think i was a right lunatic sending a request like that." louis says, his muscles twitch at the cold alcohol getting rubbed on his arm. 

"that’s not even close to the strangest request i've had." harry says, "i actually quite like it. it's pretty."

"well, you've kinda created it, yeah? it's pretty because of you." louis doesn't quite know what he's said now that it's out of his mouth, but he would say it a million times again because harry has a deep flush of red erupt on his face, it's beautiful.

"i supposed so, but you had the idea." harry says, he begins to focus more on his art, so the conversation dies down. 

louis leans back and closes his eyes, he's well used to the pain from tattooing, but some places hurt more than others, and the gun on his bicep hurts quite a lot. 

"why did your mom sing this nursery rhyme? there are more popular ones." harry asks, he's a little quiet, but he's paused for a moment to wipe louis arm off. 

"she always said that it was happier than other ones. better than a suicidal egg or falling bridges." louis turns his head to look at harry as he speaks. harry looks good when he's focused, he has a bit of a pout and his eyebrows squint together. 

"that's interesting," harry mumbles. 

louis doesn't know if harry wants him to continue or not, but he does. louis never passes up the opportunity to talk about his mom, even after she's died. "yeah, she always said that that's why her kids are so sweet, because she raised us up on nursery rhymes not revolving around death, or kidnapping, or tragedy."

"that's a nice thought." harry says, "i was raised on rock a bye baby, maybe that's where my emo years came from."

louis snorts, he hopes his whole body didn't move with it. he doesn't want to interrupt harry's work, but harry pulls away anyways and grins at louis, "that was funny."

"are you always one to laugh at your own jokes?" louis asks with another snort. louis briefly wonders if harry is gay, and if he'd go out with him after this. he has plenty of time to get information out of harry though, the tattoo should last a good two hours. 

"yeah," harry says, he replaces some ink then begins to get back to work, "my friends make fun of me about it a lot. always tell me that i'm not as funny as i think i am. i think i'm plenty funny."

louis lets the conversation die down again. harry gets more work done, but louis begins to get restless so he asks, "can we take a little break? i'd like to stretch."

"of course," harry says, still mumbling, focused, "i'm almost to a stopping point."

when harry stops, louis stands and stretches. he looks at the tattoo in the mirror, it must be about half way done, maybe a little more than. so far it looks great, perfectly blending along side his other tattoos. 

"you like it, then?" harry asks, catching louis admiring it.

"it's brilliant." louis replies with a a grin, he paces and stretched a bit more. "where'd you learn to do this?"

"i've always been into art and stuff. even went to art school, but everyone there was too posh. it wasn't quite my scene. stumbled into this somehow." harry explains, he's wiping down some of his equipment again. louis loves a clean artist. 

"that sounds proper cool." louis says honestly, "wish i could give tattoos. i've tried once, it was pretty shit."

"did you? who was the poor lad then?" harry asks. 

"my friend stan. i only tattooed a smiley face but i didn't do it quite right. it was uneven, and stan says you can hardly see it anymore." louis explains, he gets back into his seat and continues to talk, "i'm not sure i can stomach it anyways. i kept getting scared that i would infect him somehow."

"just have to be clean." harry says, then asks after a moment, "so what do you do then? what's your job?"

"i'm a journalist. i work the music section of me magazine." louis explains, "it's quite nice. i get to listen to music all day long then write about it. a dream job."

"that sounds awesome," harry has gotten back to work and the conversation quickly dies down again. 

at some point louis can't really take the silence much longer, and he realizes he hasn't gotten the chance to ask harry out yet. 

"so, have you got someone waiting for you at home then?" louis looks at the clock, it's half past eleven. his appointment was supposed to end thirty minutes ago, but louis was late and harry has been a little slow. "it's quite late."

"oh, no." harry says, he seems to be basically done, just touching a few things up, "i don't have a boyfriend, if that's what you mean."

louis hums, harry must be catching on to what louis is beginning to imply. "um, well in that case maybe you wouldn't mind us going out sometime?"

louis doesn't receive an answer, he feels harry wipe his arm again, and hears him place the gun down. "was i too forward?"

"no, you weren't, louis." harry says with a grin, "you're done, maybe we can go out for some drinks?"

louis grins, both at the fact that the tattoo is done and that harry actually wants to go out with him. louis isn't usually so forward, but he also hasn't been interested in someone in quite a while. 

"it looks beautiful." louis looks at his tattoo in a mirror, it's honestly better than louis was even expecting. 

harry blushes, he must not be used to compliments,"thank you."

"no, thank you." louis watches harry clean things up and organize, "i'm not really feeling drinks tonight, maybe dinner? i know a really good 24/7 place, just ten minutes from here."

harry nods, the blush still evident on his face, "sounds great, i can finish cleaning up and you can go pay, yeah? zayn should be upfront. then we can leave."

"awesome," louis says with a grin, "i'll be waiting."

harry replies with a big smile and a nod.

louis can't wait.


End file.
